I was having this conversation with my parents earlier today and I want to get a little more input with this (even though I know ultimately, my parents are responsible for me and therefore know me the best and what is the best for me). I do believe I am mature enough to be allowed to date (I am 14, and turning 15 on January 13th); maybe not something extremely serious however. I am a great student (a's and b's in honors classes), I play extremely competitive soccer, brought up with great guide lines and values. I want to get a scholarship both for athletics and academics so being sexually active is a risk I would never take. I am a very independent girl and I believe it would be quite easy for me to say "no" to something that makes me uncomfortable or goes against my values. I help around the house between cleaning, washing clothes, cooking sometimes and helping my brother (age 
with homework. I am even looking to apply for a Job so I can make my own money to save up for a car, birthday presents for family members, food, etc. I listen to my parents and I never go against curfew rules and always keep in touch when needed when I go out. I am open with my parents with my problems yet I do not believe I am mature enough to date.
The reason I bring this up is that I have a crush on a junior boy, so that means he would be 17 as of October. I understand that if I were to date him, he may not be able to drive me anywhere unless my parents trust him completely. And of course there would be other dating restrictions that my parents would place on the relationship. I could understand that a Junior guy would probably not want to have to deal with all of that so the whole idea of this would be just a scenario. My parents asked me if I thought I was ready for a relationship with a 17 year old and I am honestly not sure. I am leaning towards the "yes" side just because of the fact that I feel it would help me mature even more but I am not sure if it would be too much of a distraction. I feel like I could balance a relationship with school, the rest of my social life, and sports. So I would really enjoy any ones' feedback as long as it is meaningful. Thank you 
Look, I'm sorry to break it to you, but you're still 14 years old, you are not mature yet. I don't think you've experienced enough with boys to know what to expect. I don't know exactly how to say this, but boys only interfere with everything else in your life. Honestly, they mess up the balance because dating at your age is SO complicated. Dating at 14, especially when dating a 17 year old boy, can be very messy because 17 year old guys aren't looking for anything serious…they want to have fun because it's only high school! Most high school relationships don't work out. If your scenario comes true, your relationship will make you happy at first but it will also bring your grades down and mess up the balance in your life without you even knowing it, trust me I would know. So my overall point is, no, you are not mature to date yet. Why the rush? College is where the real fun starts, especially when dating. 
I am 16 years old, turning 17 in February, and my parents are still not okay with me dating.
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Ask yourself. At that age, what do you need a boyfriend for? So you can have a distraction that could affect your studies? I had my first girlfriend as a sophomore and it seriously affected. Sure it was nice having someone close to talk to, but it came to the point where I would think about her during homework, studying, classes, and even tests. The worst part was the break up. It hurt both of us, badly.
Also, older guys in high school date younger girls because they think that they are easier to get than girls in their grade level. They feel younger girls "fall-over-heels" for upperclassmen guys. lol I'm not kidding.
This is a question you have to ask yourself. Are you ready to start dating? Are you willing to go through everything that comes with a relationship? If you are then go for it. It's all on how you feel. Keeping it short and to the point.
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